Official UK procurement notice
Advertising & Media Buying
Authority: Cabinet Office (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionGovernment Recruitment Service will soon be seeking a contract which can provide standard advertising and media buying services, whilst retaining some small elements of creative execution to further drive and enhance talent attraction optimising our centralised recruitment service.
The contract value is anticipated to be just under £5 million with a potential contract duration of *36 months (3 years) with an additional 12 months (1 year) contract extension.
*To note, timescales are subject to change.
There are 4 main areas within scope which include but are not limited to:
Media planning, negotiating and buying
Offering attraction strategy advice
Media advertising such as print, digital, social
Offering market insight
A broad reach is required, therefore the supplier is expected to have the ability to access more than 140+ different media options.
Requirements may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Print press
- Recruitment directory online and print (to support job posting onto sites, an example being for Times Top 100)
- Television advertisements
- Radio commercials or podcasts
- Digital and social media posting
- Digital and social media content creation
- Billboards and poster boards
- Job Board posting
- Promotional materials - this includes flyers, brochures and posters (excludes all merchandise/memorabilia such as mugs/pens etc)
- Promotional event advertising
- Research / market insight - specifically linked to advertising (e.g offering geographical insight or research to aid media buying)
- Creative development - such as photoshoots, videos
- Create content for the Civil Service Fast Stream website, hosted on the Civil Service Careers website.
- The supplier must have an understanding and the ability to ensure all content (including creative aspects) conform to Government Accessibility Standards.
- Branding (EVP) development for Fast Stream specifically.
As well as:
Providing tailored campaign planning and media buying advice (inc tailored market analysis) for all new commissions, incorporating digital, social, print and online media and other specialist channels, job boards, job aggregators, search engines, programmatic advertising and channels
Providing expert advice on the most suitable forms/types of media/messaging to include or utilise
Provide in-campaign performance reporting
Providing bespoke copy production, copy-writing, copy editing and creative input, as required
Working with media providers to ensure that advertising campaigns are delivering
Working with other third-parties is permissible for the sole purpose of meeting advertising requirements
It's not possible to predict the volume of work that the supplier can expect to receive. However, it is not uncommon for work flow to follow a trend of peaks and troughs, sometimes with rapid and significant changes in volume. We can say that historically the average number of campaigns commissioned per annum is circa 200 (averaging 17 per month). It is not unusual for a number of large and complex campaigns to be commissioned at the same time, therefore the ability for a supplier to be adaptable and flexible is essential.
The contract awarded will include no obligation on the buyer regarding minimum spend or work volume.
Should the procurement go ahead, the potential route to market may be via the RM6124 Communications Marketplace, which is a Dynamic Purchasing System framework. If you are not already registered you will need to visit the following webpage to register as a new supplier:
supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/dps ↗
Crown Commercial Services or Cabinet Office & HM Treasury Commercial Team may coordinate the procurement on behalf of Government Recruitment Service.
CPV: Advertising and marketing services · Advertising campaign services · Advertising management services · Promotional services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1IntroductionPlanned
Introduction
Please note, there is no commitment or guarantee that procurement activity will go ahead, this procurement is subject to internal approvals. This note is therefore intended for information purposes.
The purpose of this note is to alert potential suppliers of a possible opportunity that may be of interest.
Government Recruitment Service (GRS) falls within the Government People Group (GPG) which is hosted by the Cabinet Office. GRS is delivering a centralised recruitment service across the core UK Civil Service and some wider public sector organisations.
We may seek a contract which can provide standard advertising and media buying services, whilst retaining some small elements of creative execution to further drive and enhance talent attraction optimising our centralised recruitment service.
Scope of the requirement:
The contract value is anticipated to be just under £5 million with a potential contract duration of *36 months (3 years) with an additional 12 months (1 year) contract extension. We will be seeking a contract which can provide advertising, media buying with some aspects of creative design services for Government Recruitment Service and Civil Service Fast Stream and Emerging Talent.
*To note, timescales are subject to change.
There are 4 main areas within scope which include but are not limited to:
Media planning, negotiating and buying
Offering attraction strategy advice
Media advertising such as print, digital, social
Offering market insight
A broad reach is required, therefore the supplier is expected to have the ability to access more than 140+ different media options.
Requirements may include, but are not limited to the following:
-Print press
-Recruitment directory online and print (to support job posting onto sites, an example being for Times Top 100)
-Television advertisements
-Radio commercials or podcasts
-Digital and social media posting
-Digital and Social media content creation
-Billboards and poster boards
-Job Board posting
-Promotional materials - this includes flyers, brochures and posters (excludes all merchandise/memorabilia such as mugs/pens etc)
Promotional event advertising
-Research / market insight - specifically linked to advertising (eg offering geographical insight or research to aid media buying)
-Creative development - such as photoshoots, videos
-Create content for the Civil Service Fast Stream website, hosted on the Civil Service Careers website.
-An understanding and ability to ensure all content (including creative aspects) conform to Government Accessibility Standards.
-Branding (EVP) development for Fast Stream specifically.
As well as:
- Providing tailored campaign planning and media buying advice (inc tailored market analysis) for all new commissions, incorporating digital, social, print and online media and other specialist channels, job boards, job aggregators, Search Engines, programmatic advertising and channels
- Providing expert advice on the most suitable forms/types of media/messaging to include or utilise
- Provide in-campaign performance reporting
- Providing bespoke copy production, copy-writing, copy editing and creative input, as required
- Working with media providers to ensure that advertising campaigns are delivering
- Working with other third-parties is permissible for the sole purpose of meeting advertising requirements
Volume:
It's not possible to predict the volume of work that the supplier can expect to receive. However, it is not uncommon for workflow to follow a trend of peaks and troughs, sometimes with rapid and significant changes in volume. We can say that historically the average number of campaigns commissioned per annum is circa 200 (averaging 17 per month). It is not unusual for a number of large and complex campaigns to be commissioned at the same time, therefore the ability for a supplier to be adaptable and flexible is essential.
The contract awarded will include no obligation on the buyer regarding minimum spend or work volume.
Potential Route to Market & how to register:
Should the procurement go ahead, the potential route to market may be via the RM6124 Communications Marketplace, which is a Dynamic Purchasing System framework. Crown Commercial Services or Cabinet Office & HM Treasury Commercial Team may coordinate the procurement on behalf of Government Recruitment Service.
What you need to do:
If you are not already registered you will need to visit the following webpage to register as a new supplier:
supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/dps ↗
Register to increase your visibility to thousands of government buyers.
Indicative timeline:
Dates are subject to change, therefore this timeline is for indicative purposes only
ITT launch; mid April 2026 (inc. period open for clarification questions)
ITT close; early May 2026
Evaluation & internal approvals: Mid May to early June 2026
Contract award early June 2026
Other information:
Potential suppliers will not be prejudiced by any response to this PIN and a response is not expected. This PIN does not formally signify the beginning of a procurement and does not constitute a commitment by the Government Recruitment Service to undertake any procurement exercise.
Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How Cabinet Office buys Advertising and marketing services (CPV 7934), and who usually turns up
Cabinet Office’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Advertising and marketing services (CPV 7934) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered outside the delivery region.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
No decision dates published to compare.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
The buyer’s share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1IntroductionCPV 7934Published estimate£4.9m
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 245 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid18%
2–321%
4–628%
7+33%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TMP WORLDWIDEEarlier contract | Recruitment Advertising and Media Buyingnotice published Jul 2022 | — | £2.9m | Matched as the earlier contract |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
What this replaces i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
61% title match.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
61% title match.
A past supplier may not bid again.
The prior contract this notice most likely re-tenders · matched by title and category (61% title match), the holder is not guaranteed to re-bid
Recruitment Advertising and Media Buying — held by TMP WORLDWIDE; no contract end date published.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 19 Mar 2026, 15:14 GMT
- Last source update
- 19 Mar 2026, 15:14 GMT
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-025315- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-066f47Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
19 Mar 2026 → 13 Apr 2026 · 2 dates- Notice published217 days ago19 Mar 2026, 15:14 GMT
- Tender notice expected193 days ago13 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.